15 Most Underrated Samurai Films Of All Time

13. The Hidden Blade (2004)

Zatoichi 2003
Shochiku

The second entry in writer-director Yoji Yamada’s Samurai Trilogy, The Hidden Blade takes audiences to 1860s Japan, a time of great change which signalled the downfall of the samurai as the country began to modernise.

Based on short stories by Shûhei Fujisawa, this highly acclaimed but underseen film is one part forbidden love story and another taut political thriller. The plot revolves around Katagiri (Masatoshi Nagase), a poverty-stricken samurai infatuated by a servant girl (Takako Matsu) he can never marry.

However, when he's tasked with killing one of his friends, he grows conflicted about Japan's changing way of life at the time.

What this slow-burn film lacks in excessive violence and spectacle, it more than makes up for in its sophistication and the grounded means in which it tackles its themes. Giving a poignant exploration of a critical part of Japan’s history, The Hidden Blade is a hidden gem of Japanese cinema.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.